Page 32 of Eluvonia
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Hours pass. The night deepens, and the cold settles into my bones. I remain in the clearing, standing just before the treeline, my instincts prickling with unease.
Then I hear it. The shift in the air. The near-silent rustle of movement where there should be none.
From the darkness of the woods, shadows break apart as Fae warriors emerge, weapons gleaming under the moonlight. My stomach twists, but I’m not surprised.
Another betrayal.
A low growl rumbles in my throat as I take a step forward, shadows curling at my feet. Declan tenses beside me.
“You really thought we’d let you roam freely?” the silver-haired Fae sneers, his smirk returning, sharper this time. “You Dragons never learn.”
I exhale slowly, letting the fury simmer, controlled but ready.
“I warned you,” I murmur, voice like a whisper of death. Then I unleash the shadows I tear through the Fae, sending them flying like discarded leaves, but more keep coming. They move like specters, slipping through gaps in our defense with practiced ease. The chaos around me is deafening—screams,metal clashing, the roar of flames.
The Fae hit the eastern flank first, a wave of blades and fire crashing down on the guards. Swords flash in the dark as they slaughter the guards, their screams swallowed by the night. Fires spring up all around, and I hear the roar of flames consuming the tents, the crackling as they burn to the ground.
My shadows move before I do, responding to the chaos with ruthless efficiency. They lash out, a blur of darkness and form, grabbing the Fae by their limbs and flinging them into the air with reckless abandon. One after another, the Fae are tossed aside like rag dolls, their bodies crashing to the ground with sickening thuds. I keep some suspended in the air, my shadows holding them in place, choking the life out of them slowly.
I take a step forward, my sword drawn. The cold steel gleams in the firelight. I raise it, and in a blur of motion, I slash through the Fae that approaches me. The blade cuts through their flesh with ease, blood spraying out in a crimson arc. Each strike is precise, the tension of the battle fueling my movements. I’m in a rhythm now, and I feel every swing, every slash like a pulse through my very being.
I feel like I’m forgetting something.
I look over my shoulder and I spot my tent, the familiar shape standing amidst the flames and chaos. A tugging at my chest pulls me toward it, and that’s when it hits me.She’s still inside.Dammit I forgot about her. A surge of panic rises in my chest. I curse under my breath, the sound lost to the din of battle. My eyes narrow, and I force myself to focus. I push forward, my shadows parting for me like an obedient army.
And that’s when I see her. The Fae girl. She steps out from the tent, looking confused, and lost.
A guard shouts at her to go back inside,smart male.He runs off, and I see the glint in her eyes. She’s going to try to escape.
I should let her go. She’ll be someone else’s problem. But I know better. My father will never forgive me if I let her slip away, and I don’t feel like dealing with his punishments.
I start toward her, but I stop dead in my tracks when I see her reach for a Fae but instead of helping her he is attacking her. I quicken my steps and deflect his blade.
What did that damned Fae do?
Chapter 12
AERIS
Ijolt awake, gasping for air, my heart pounding.
The sharp scent of smoke fills my nose, and for a split second, I can’t tell if it’s part of the dream or reality. Then I realize the bed beside me is empty. Kaida is gone.
The camp is in chaos—shouts, the clash of weapons, and the roar of flames. I shove the tent flap aside, stepping into the fray. Tents are ablaze, shadows dancing in the firelight.
A guard hurries past, and I grab his arm. “What’s going on?” I ask, my voice rising in panic.
He startles, eyes wide before recognition flickers across his face. “Rebel Fae,” he says, urgency thick in his voice. “You need to go back to the tent.Now.”
“I—what?!” I protest, trying to pull away, but he gives me a firm shove toward the tent.
“You’ll be mistaken for one of them!” he snaps, urgency underscored by fear. “Get back inside!”
I watch him rush off, and my pulseraces.
This is my chance.
